Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-01-11

otherwise grow up to be intelligent, Industrious
ana vlrtu0uS citizens, become vagabOnds drunk
ardS, gamblers, harlOtS and criminals before they
nave reached the age Of maturity, and serve only
10 crowd the jail, the wOrk-hOu5e and the ever
Over1lowing Reform school. There are no statis-
Tics Kept, OF course, by which your petitioner can
inform you how many OF the youth Of the District,
every year, in consequence OF these diabOlicai
snares rebel against parental authority throw of
the restraints OF home, abandon school and work.
shop and become t1ppers, gamblers, harlots, vaga-
ponds and paupers. 1t is only when one in i've Of
inc number, in consequence OF brawl or a hOmi-
eide, Is arrested that his ruin becomes matter OF
record But by multiplying the number of these
juvenile arrests by five, your petitioner believes
that some idea may be gained OF the extent of the
evil complained OF. In this view of the subject
your serious attention is invited to the fact that
for the year ending June 30, 1885, there were
4.675 persons under twenty years Old arrested in
the District, which is an increase OF Seventy-twO
per cent in i've years.
COMPARATIVE STATISTICS.
table Is given to show that the number OF juve-
nile arrests compared with the population is alarm
ing, especially when compared with the number
In other cities. This table shows that there were
20 juvenile arrests to 1000 OF population in this
city, While In Chicago and Buffalo, the two cities
coming next on the list there were but 12; Hart
cinnat, 8; New York and Newark, n. j., 8, and
Columbus, Ohio, and Springfield, Mass, 5 each
ages, arrested for crime in 1855 SO. was immensely
greater In the District than in almost any large
city OF the Union as follows; Springfield, .o44
Y, IN
Columbus, .O6O; Philadelphia, O6O; New York.
.O6l; Buffalo, .07O; Boston, .O79; Baltimore, OsO
Chicago, oS1; District OF Columbia, .126. In IKE
manner larger proportion OF the general arrests
were juvenile arrests, in that year. in the District
than in any OF the following cities: Columbus,
S cnesK s5 bsao az AZ e,naSns
.17s; Brooklyn, .205; District Of Columbia, POS.
POOL-R0oMs AND BAR-ROoMs.
The petition sets out that the bar-rOoms them
selves are not so pernic1ous to the morals OF the
young as the public pool tables and billiard
tables and asserts that this wholesale corrupticn
Of the youth OF the District Is entirely due to the
want of legislation. There is no law nor ordi-
nance whatever furnishing the sale OF liquor to
tne children or the District from spending their
evenings and nights at public pool tables and
billiard tables, where tobacco and liquors are
sold, and where every game is played for wager
There Is cn old ordinance OF the city OF Washing.
ton applicable TO the city only, prohibiting the
to be worthless, so that the police made only one
arrest under 1t during the last police year. II the
hquOrsellers were required TO prove that his VIC
prosecution being compelled to prove the con-
trary 1t would be strictly just and greatly faci-
tate the enforcement OF the law. In like manner
II the very presence Of children in these haunts Of
vice were prohibited, and the officers OF the law
were authorized to arrest and detain them when
found there 50 that their names, age, residence,
parentage and habits could be learned, and SO
that they would be kept away from the influence
OF the iiquor-seller until the trial, arrests and
would soon abate.
This petition was signed by F. Mccarthy, as sec
rotary. and II. B. MoultOn, as president OF the
Guardian league. With 1t were submitted letters
OF commentator from Judges Macarthur and
Cox, OF the Supreme Court OF the District; Judge
Smell, OF the Police Court; Col. Moore the super
1ntendent OF police, and Gen. Croker, warden Of
the Jail.
Judge Macarthur wrote: 1.-THE pool-room evil
and the ease with which children under the age Of
IL gain admission TO them and to drinking saloons
1mperat1vely demand a stringent remedy to pre-
vent and suppress one OF the most appalling
sources Of youthful crime and depravity in this
CITY,"
Judge Cox said he cordially approved of the
movement and OF the proposed legislation.
Judge Smell wrote: ''There is much small gam
bling In drinking places and pOo-rooms by minors;
and all these places are h0t-beds for corruption
and destruction OF the young"
Major Moore wrote: 81 am heartily In accord
with your labora and trust the bill you propose
will receive early and favorable consideration by
Congress-
Warden Croker said: ''The result of my obser-
walton and experience as warden Of the jail in the
District for the last seventeen years has been to
convince my Judgment that more boys and young
men become depraved in their habits and morals
and are led to enter upon career OF crime by the
evil Influences connected with drinking saloons,
pool-rooms and other gambling places than from
all other causes"
PROVISIONS OF THE BILL.
The bill which was introduced in the Senate on
the 9th inst. by air. Vance, and the purpOrt of
which was published in The STAR, is entitled "a
bill for the protection OF the morals of minors In
the District OF Columbia" 1t prohibits the traffic
with minors In alcoholic liquor, billiard-playing,
pOol-playing, poOl-selling, gambling, and other
vices in the District 1t makes it unlawful for
any person to sell TO any minor any wine or beer
or any other alcoholic liquor, whether for the
minors own use or not, and whether the minor be
the messenger OF agent OF another person or not;
to sell liquor to any other person for the use then
| and there OF any minor; to give liquor to any
minor, In any public drinking place public eating
place, or public pleasureresOrJ, or at any public
1t shall be unlawful for the proprietor or manager
OF any public drinkingplace, public eating place,
pubic peasa Jul e or public entertainment,
Is served or Sold to permit any minor to be in or
at any such place. The penalty for violation of
this section In any OF It's provisions shall be, for
| the first onense, fine OF not less than s25 nor
more than $50, or Imprisonment for not less than
ten nor more than sixty days in the workhOuse, or
| not less than $50 nor more than $780, or imprson-
ment for not less than thirty nor more than ninety
by Of uuor the
to the premises where the onense was COM
The bill also makes it unlawful. under similar
penalties for any person to SELL give or pay any
minor any pool or poolticket, whether directly or
indirectly OF for the proprietor Or manager Of a
purtenances, to permit any minor to use or handle
any OF them; for the proprietor or manager Of any
soa or Or or
lizards or pool are played, where there is betting
or gambling, TO permit any minor to De In or az
such place.
The last section makes it unlawful for any minor,
whether as principal, agent, servant or employee,
70 buy or receive as glrt any liquor In public
| lie entertainments. where liquors are sold, OF to
De In or TO lolter at or near any OF these places
II also prohibits minors from buying or collecting
lizards or pool in any public room, hall or place
| or betting or gambling in public gaming places
from attending or lettering about any public bill
ltard-room or public pool-room where pools ars
sold or paid or where pool Is played, or any gam.
biing-piace. The penalty shall be fine OF moi
less Than 81 nor more than $25 or imprisonment u
the wOrkhouse for not less than one nor more than
sixty days. In prosecutions under all the sections
OF the bill the burden OF proof as to the age OF al
legged minors shall be on the defendant
WHAT JUDGE SMELL. SAYS.